Bottle-capping machine



se zs, 1930.

c. w. DESOBRY BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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m m w A Sept23,1930. c. w. 05555; v 1,776,350

BOTTLE CAPPIHG MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYSI Sept. 23, 1930. D SO RY 1,776,350

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Original Filed June 20, 1,923 3=Shets-Sheet I5 I N V EN TOR. (H/WM: 14f 25:19am

A TTIORNEYS.

, 20 claims.

Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOBR Y, IN 0., OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA, A CORPORATION BOTTLE-OAQPPING MACHINE;

Application filed June 20, 1923, Serial No. 648,544. Renewed June 4, 1988 This invention relates to a bottle capping .machine.

The chief object of the invention is to simultaneously cap a plurality of bottles by a battery capper construction.

The chief feature of the invention consists in the means provided for the accomplishment of the foregoing object.

Another feature of the invention consists 1 in the provision of a safety device associated with each individual capping mechanism, whereby in the event of an jamming of said individual mechanism, t e safet device therefore will be actuated to re ease the jammed mechanism from the battery operating means.

he full nature of this invention Will be understood from the accompanying draw ings and the following description and In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the discharge end of a universal bottle capping machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof and of an endless conveyor associated therewith, the latter being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional .view of the bottle guides and filling and capping means showin the .same by full lines 1n the non-filling'an non-ca o ping position, the dotted lines indicating t e position of said arts when adjusted to fill the smaller size ottles. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the same parts but with the same in the bottle filling and bottle capping position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the bottle capping mechanism. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the same and is taken in the lane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and in the irection .of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a portion of the battery of the bottle capping mechanisms and is taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 8 is an enlarged central sectional view of a portion of the power means for securing relative movement between the bottles and the bottle capping and filling mechanism. v Th1s invention relates to a bottle filling and capping machineof the general type described in the prior Patent No. 1,419,235, dated June 13, 192 I In the drawings 10 indicates a framework supporting the uprights 11 between which is positioned the top or table 12. Each upright carries a U-shaped bracket 13 which slidably supports a bar 14, and said bar 14 extends along the machine parallel to the table top 12 and adjacent the end thereof is arched upwardly, as at 15, to form a passageway that will permit a bottle 16, carried by a belt 17 of a conveyor construction, and indicated enerally b the numeral 18, to pass theretirough. erein the pair of bars 14 carries a transferring bar 19 which moves transversely of the belt 17 to remove the bottles therefrom to the table 12. The bar closest to the advancing end of the conveyor construction carries upon its end a stop 20. This sto prevents the conveyor from positioning ottles adjacent the table top 12 while the transferring mechanism, comprising the bars 14 and transverse bar 19, is er,- forming the transferring movemen ntil the return of the transferring mechanism to the position shown in Fi 2, the conveyor is prevented from discharging any bottles, but

after the stop 20 is removed from the path of the bottles, the same are ermitted to advance along with the bar an subsequently be removed therefrom and transferred to the table as described.

That portion of each upright 11 which projects upwardly above the table 12 is slotted at 21 and in said slot there is slidably supported a block 22. Each block 22 is connected to a plate 23 which sulpports the filling and cappmg mechanism. eference will now be had to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and in said figures it will be noted that the frame 10 sup orts a motor 24 suitably connected to a riving worm 25, which in turn rotates a worm wheel 26 upon a shaft 27. The shaft 27 extends transversely of the machine and its free ends carry the cranks 28. The cranks 28 pivotally support one end of links 29-, the other ends of which are recessed or hollowed out as at 80 and are exteriorlv threaded to receive apertured caps 31.v The caps slidably sup ort rods or links 32, the enclosed ends 33 of w 'ch secure one end of the spring 34, the other end of which is secured by the cap 31. The other ends of the links 32 are pivotally connected to the slides 22. Thus, in the rotation of the shaft 27, by means of the motor 24, the slides 22 will be reciprocated to and fro in the slots 21, carrying with them the supporting plates 23 and, therefore, the supporting plates 23, together with the feeding and capping mechanisms will be reciprocated toward and away from the table 12 which carries the bottles 16 having the necks and the mouths 36.

Each of the uprights 11 also rigidly supports the side plates 37 which lie adjacent the late 23. The plates 37 carry. cams 38, see ig. 2. Each cam 38 is pivotally supported by a side plate 37 and has one face engageable by an adjacent cam 39 carried by the adjacent and relatively movable plate 23. Another portion of the cam 38 is slotted at 40 and a pin 42 is receivable by one of the openings 43 in the adjacent bar 14. Pin 42 extends through the same and into the slot 40. Thus, when the plates 23 are reciprocated to and fro with respect to the table 12, the cams 39 will alternately tilt the earns 38 upon their pivotal supports to the right and left and thereby cause the same to reciprocate the bottle transferring mechanism, comprising the bars 14 and the transversely positioned bottle engaging bar 19 to transfer bottles from the conveyor 18 to the table 12 and return the mechanism for another supply of bottles. The cams 38 and 39 are so formed that intermediate travel of plate 23 is not effective. A plurality of holes 43 are provided so that for substantially the same amount of travel by the plate 23, the transverse rod 19 will move different distances, depending upon the size of bottle to be handled by the machine. The pin 42 is shown herein in the position to handle quart bottles, and herein provision is made for pints and half pints by the other holes 43.

Reference will again be had to Figs. 1 and 2 and also Figs. 3 and 4. In said figures it will be noted that the table 12 receives eight bottles 16, each having the necks 35 and the mouths 36. Positioned between the necks of .the adjacent bottles there is a guide or separator 44, and these uides or separators are supported in depen ing relation by depending arms 45 secured to a transverse support 46, which support is carried at each end by a bracket member 47. The bracket members 47 are rigidly secured to the uprights 11 by the bolts 48 receivable by the openlngs 49 in the uprights 11. As shown clearly in Fig. 2, the

lurality of openings 49 are provided to adustably position the supporting brackets 47 carrying the spacing framework with reference to table 12. The spacing framework may be adjusted into a plurality of positions,

herein shown as three in number and this is shown by the dotted lines in the left hand portion of Fig. 1. The separator or spacing construction herein described thus is adapted to align the quarts, pints and half pints for passage through the machine beneath the fillers and cappers for filling and capping purposes by straddling the necks of the bottles. All milk bottles have standard mouths and necks. There is also provided, although not necessary in view of the septarating framework previously described, the pair of retaining rackets in the form of angle irons 50 suitably sup orted by the table 12. Means for supplying ut eight pints or eight half pints may be supplied in addition to bar 19 but the same is not necessary since the guides 44 limit the number of bottles and position the same.

The means for filling bottles is supported by and reciprocated with the plates 23. Herein said plates 23 each c'arries a wedge shaped tongue 51. These ,wedge shaped tongues extend inwardly towards each other and .parallel to the table. A liquid containing tank 52 has a bracket 53 at each end,

wvhich bracket is complementarily shaped so as to receive the Wedge-shaped tongue 51 and be supported thereby. An auxiliary tank 54 is supported at each end byl the plates 55, each of which has a wedgeaped groove so that said plates are supported by the Wedgeshaped projections 51 and parallel to the tank 52. The tank 52- and ,the tank 54 are connected by one or more sliding or telescoping tubular connections, indicated generally by the numeral 56, and retained in adjusted position by the set screw 57 or equivalent means.

Each of the tanks-52 and 54 supports a plurality of filling devices.

The first stag filler is associated with the auxiliary tank 54 and eight first stage fillers are provided to operate .JJpOIl eight bottles simultaneously. Each first stage filler constitutes a tube 58 which has a suitably formed valve seat 59 at its upper and open end, which extends into the tank 54. A tube 60 is slidably supported in said tube 58 and its upper end is closed by a weight 61 fastened to con.- stitute a valve member for closing the opening defined by the seat 59 of the tube 58. The tube 60 adjacent the closure valve member 61 is apertured so as to provide a lateral opening or a plurality of openings 62. The lower end of tube 60 is preferably closed as at 63 j and adjacent said lower closed end is a lateral aperture 64 to secure lateral discharge of the fluid passing through the filling tube 60. The tube 60 carries a collar 65 with a plurality of radially projecting prongs or equivalent devices 66. These are of greater length than the diameter of the bottle mouth so that as shown clearly in Fig. 4 the pins 66 rest upon the top of the bottle 16 and tube 60 only enters the bottle month. In the continued movement of the plates 23 toward the table 12, after the pins'66 engage the bottle top, the lateral apertures 62 are exposed to the interior of the tank 54 and permit the fluid, such as milk to discharge laterally into the bottle and refill said bottles for the first stage filling. i m'm the foregoing, it will be noted that each filling device herein described contains but one valve and it is opened by engagement with the bottle, and said opening movement occurs after the discharge is positioned within the bottle. Upon the reverse movement of the tank with respect to the bottles, the valve member 61 is seated by gravity upon the up er end of the open tube 58, thus cutting o 7 communication therethrough and preventing further discharge of fluid from the tank 54 through the tube 60, other than that in the tube which continues to dischar e into the bottle.

Althou an adjustable construction is not illustrate it will be readily apparent that the engagement of the tube 58 in the tank 54 will permit of bushing down said opening to receive smaller prefilling tubes, if desired.

The importance of the prefilling device is its springless construction, as well as the lack of separable plugs or valves and the lack of a plurality of valves.

Supported by the tank 52 is a similar number of filling and venting mechanisms, which final filling and venting mechanism is .described in reat detail in the copending ap plication S erial No. 638,857, filed May 14, 1923. Herein said device is shown consisting of three tubular members telescopically positioned and provided with valve means at each end or adjacent each end for forming a springless fillin construction with a bottle gpening and a ottle closure therefor. In

igs. 3 and 4, 14 indicates the inner tube herein shown circular in cross section, which tube has a closedend 115 which supports a weight 116. The tube adjacent the upper end is suitably apertured, and herein two such apertures 17 are illustrated which permit the liquid in the tank or reservoir 52 to discharge laterally into the tube 114. Thereafter said liquid passes downwardly through said tube and out through the lower end thereof into the lower end of the intermediate tube 118. The intermediate tube 118 at its lower end is closed, as at 119, and adjacent said closure there is provided a laterally discharging mouth or port 120. The tube 118 is also provided upon opposite sides with parallel slots 121 which form guides for a pin 122. The pin 122, in the present invention, extends through the tube 114 and is not exposed to the interior thereof for a transverse tubular bearing 123 is provided in the tube 114 to prevent any leakage from the tube 114 through the guide slots 121. The guide slots 121 are always closed by the tube 114 irrespective of the latters position. so that there is no lateral dischar e from the lower end of the tube 114 throng said slots.

118 and forms a seat 127,

The upper end of the tube 118 is exteriorly threaded at 124 and is receivable by the tubular bearing member 125 also having a threaded portion by which the latter is detachably secured to the tank 113 in the opening 126 thereof. The nut 127 has a threaded engagement with the tube 118 and locks the tube and the supporting member 125 to the tank 52. Member 125 is extended and projects upwardly beyond the end of the stationary tube which seatis adapted to receive the ball valve 116 constituting the weight carried by the tubular member 114. When the ball 116 is seated, the apertures 117 are closed and the top of the tube 114 is cut off from communicating with the tank 52.

A third tube 128 is telescopically associated with and mounted u on the tube 118 and constitutes the outer tu )e. The tube 128 is provided with a transverse opening 129 and a threaded openin 130, which openings are in alignment wit each other. The pin 122, previously described, has one end seatedin the opening 129 and the other end 131 is enlarged and threaded to form a head seatable in the threaded opening 130 of the tube 128. The tubes 114 and 128, therefore, move together and telescope the stationary tube 118. The tube 128 is recessed at 132 to form a seat for a cushion or shock absorber 133 which may be of rubber or any other suitable material.

The tube 128 is extended downwardly at 134 and the end thereof is beveled to form a valve seat. Herein the lower end of the stationary tube 118 is closed by the portion 119. Closure 11 9 is extended at 136 and is threaded to receive a eonoidal valvemember 137 having the valve surface 135. It is preferable to make the valve member 137 and the closure 119 separable for the reason that the volumetric displacement of the closure can be varied by putting on the extension 136' a smaller or lar er conoidal end137 without changing the tribe.

There is'provided in the tube 118 a channel 139 which does not extend fromend to end. Said channel permits air within the bottle to pass upwardly'through said channel 139 and outwardly therefrom during the. filling or last stage operation. This permits filling under pressure. The channel 139 seats a key 140 which keys the tube 128, the latter having a complementary groove 141 therein, to the tube 118 to prevent rotative movement therebetween. The foregoing permits longitudinal and telescopic movement. The groove 141 is provided. with a lateral discharge 143, which is preferably threaded to receive the threaded end of the prefilling and venting tube 144 which has a curved portion 145 and a discharge end 146. Suitable means, such as the set screw 147 is adapted to secure the mouth 146 intermediate the first stage filling device and the last stage filling device ust described. This intermediate position is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

While the bottle 16 is being filled to the top-of the mouth, the bubbles of milk and air as well as considerable milk passes through the venting tube and discharges into the next adjacent bottle which, it will be remembered, has been partially filled by the prefilling device described in the fore part of the specification. Thus, there is provided a three stage filling construction for each bottle which is essentially, a minimum number of stages that can satisfactorily be used and secure said complete bottle filling in the shortest amount of time. It is possible to completely fill a bottle in two stages by wasting the ventage, but herein three stages shorten the time of filling and also utilize what otherwise would be waste. The utilization of this venting and prefilling device also permits of filling under pressure which in turn will further shorten the filling period. The use of the first mentioned prefilling device further reduces the time of filling. since substantially about two thirds of the bottle may be filled by this 'prefilling device and possibly one sixth b the venting device and the remainder by t e last stage and bottle mouth closing filler.

The sealing filler and venting device is operated by the engagement of said device upon the bottle mouth, which opens both valves of the device simultaneously and permits the fluid to be discharged into the bottle. The double valve construction also permits quick cut oil with no drip. It is immaterial if there is dripping from the vent 146 or from the prefiller mouth 64.

The means for applying a cap to the bottle so that the bottle is completely filled and capped ready for deliver is illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, ,6 and 7. erein since the machine is shown adapted to simultaneously fill eight bottles at any one time, there is therefore provided a capping mechanism so constructed that it is operable to automatically and simultaneously cap a plurality of bottles, and herein eight bottles can be so 50 accommodated.

Particular reference will be had to the before mentioned figures wherein the ca ping mechanism is there illustrated in etail. Herein a plate 70 is shown extending transversely of the machine and is suitably secured by the brackets 71 to the plates 37 stationarily.

supported by the uprights 11 previously described. The plate is herein shown supporting a plurality of cap receiving reservoirs 7 2. Each reservoir 72, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 7, is substantially cylindrical in outline and is provided with a finger slot 73 to assist in inserting or manually removing caps 74. positioned therein. The 65 caps 74 are circular and substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the circular reservoir 72. The reservoir 72 is provided with a rearward extension 75, which extension straddles the channel-walled groove 76 formed in the plate 7 0 and extending transversely thereof. Slidably supported in said groove and retained therein by said base portion is a slide 7 7 see Fig. 5, having tongue portions 78 seatable in the channels of groove 76. The plate 70 adjacent the groove 76 is apertured at79 and in said aperture slidably receives a pin 80 carried by the plate 77. Each reservoir 72 has a discharge slot 81 and an oppositely positioned ejector receiving slot 82. The ejector plate 77 has an arcuate front face 83, and said arcuate front face passes through the slot 82, thereby engaging the lower-most circular cap generally of the parafiin or waxed paper type. Continued movement of said ejector slide forces the cap outwardly through the opening or slot 81 and feeds said cap to a capping mechanism.

Since the machine is adapted to simultaneously handle eight bottles, there are provided eight capping reservoirs upon the supporting plate 70. Positioned beneath the plate 70 and substantially parallel thereto, is a reciprocating member or bar .84. This bar 84 is suitably apertured as at 85 to receive the several pins 80 carried'by the individual reservoir ejector slides. The bar 84 is provided at each end with a pin 86, and this pin is carried by a slot 87 in the depending end of a lever 88 pivotally supported at 89 upon said stationary plate 37. The other end of the lever 88 is connected by a link 90 to one end of the cam lever 91 which is pivotally supported at 92 upon the plate 37. The'lever 91 has the cam surface 93. A pair ofcam plates 94 tilt the levers 91, which, in turn tilt the levers 88 to move the actuator bar 84 to and fro beneath the plate 70. This to and fro movement carries with it all of the pins 80 of the several reservoirs.

In order that a jamming of one capper will not wreck the remainder of the capping mechanisms, a safety device is provided which is associated with the slide ejector. This is herein shown as a spring or yieldable 115 clip 95 which is associated with the slot 85 to retain the pin 80 in engagement with the bar 84. Thus, on the forward or cap ejecting movement, the pin 80 bears upon the spring 95 and is carried with the bar 84 and the 120 spring 95 to eject a cap 74 from the reservoir 72. In the event that the capper jams, or for any other reason the pressure required to eject a ca is so great that the spring 95 yields as s own by the dotted lines, such 12 yielding will cause the yielding spring to be removed from the seats 96 in the notch 85. Thus the pin 80, the'spring for which has been removed by excessive pressure, is not carried forwardly to eject the cap from the reservoir 13.

and upon the return movement of the slide 84 sai pin 80 is carried into the retracted positlon where it remains untilsuch time as the obstruction is removed and thespring 95 again positioned in operative relation with respect to the bar 84 and the pin 80. This provision is not absolutely necessary, but is preferable for the reason that the caps frequently are not symmetrical and frequently jam the capper, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. This provision furthermore permits the operation of the cappers in battery formation, which heretofore has been impossible. Likewise, this provision does not seriously interfere with the operation of the machine for the reason that those bottles which pass beneath the ca per and which are not supplied with caps, y reason of the jammed reservoir, are subsequently supplied with caps by hand and the inspector upon observing that the bottles are coming through without caps will thereupon investigate and temporarily stop the machine until the jam has been removed. 0

The capping mechanisms proper are shown clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 7. In said figures the plate 23 carries a bar 97 which is apertured at 98 to receive a threaded sleeve or connection 99 locked thereto by the nut 100. The connection 99 has a threaded engagement with one end of a threaded member 101 having a threaded interior and an enlarged lower end 102. Said threaded member 101 carries a threaded stem 103, the head of which is reduced and carries a retaining cap or nut 104. The stem is provided with a quadruple thread so that it will spiral, twist or twirl a capping head 105. A reciprocatory hood construction includes a bottle centering head 106 and an upstanding guide tube 107 with the retaining flange 108 adapted to cooperate with the enlargement 102. A portion 109, see Fig. 7, has a tongue and groove connection 110 with the reservoir construction and serves to align the cap er head with the reservoir. An extension 111 of the reservoir construction and particularly plate 70, further serves to align the cap when the slot 112 registers with the slot 81, whereby a cap 74 may be ejected from the reservoir into the bottle centering hood construction. The capping head 105 carries a threaded or friction washer 113 and rotatably supported by said capping head 105 is a cap engaging member 69 suitably secured by means 68 to said capping head 105. One particular feature is the rotary movement of the cap seating means. 7

The operation of the various parts of the machine was described, when the description of the several parts was given. In brief the operation is as follows: The plates 23 are reciprocated towards and away from the table 12, which carries with it the tanks 52 and 54,. the same havinga slidable supply connection 67, see Fi 1. The battery of cappers, together with the battery of prefillers and final fillers, are all carried with the plates 23 until the same engage the mouth of top of the bottles, whereupon continued movement of the plates 23 towards the table 12 causes the several valves to open in the filling device and causes the'capper head to insert a cap 74 into the mouth 36 of a filled bottle. Should there be continued movement of the reci rocating mechanism, shown particularly in igs. 1 and 2, beyond that required to fill and cap the bottles, said additional movement is taken up by the spring 34, thus insuring substantially uniform pressure upon the bottles at all times. This construction, which is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 likewise permits the machine to fill and cap various heights of bottles such as half pints, ints and quarts, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 by permitting the slides 23 to move closer to the bottle 12 before engaging the bottle mouth. Additional movement of said plates thereu on causes the filling and capping of the ottles. It will be noted from the foregoin that the filling and capping period for t e smaller bottles is a preciably less than that for the larger bottiies, and in this way one adjustment of the machine is eliminated.

It will be noted that except for the safety springs 95, see Fig. 6, and compensating springs, see Fig. 8, the machine is devoid of springs.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a capping machine the combination of a plurality of cap reservoirs, a plurality of capping mechanisms relatively movable thereto, a single means for causing said relative movement for capping, a cap feeding member associated with each reservoir for supplying the capping mechanisms with caps, a single means or simultaneously actuatin all ca feeding members, and a forcible iel ing etachable connection between eac cap feeding member and the last mentioned means securing automatic disconnection of the last mentioned connection when aZhy cap feeding member is subjected to unusual resistance such as jamming.

2. In a bottle cap er, the combination of a bottle support, a urality of cap receivin reservoirs norma stationarily mounted with respect to said ot of cap ing mechanisms each including a capping p unger ositioned parallel to the reservoirs and re atively movable towards and away from said support, and an arcuately movable plunger supporting member, Whereby each capping lunger will have simultaneous rotative an axial movementwith respect to the bottle support, a cap feeding'device for each capping reservoir for feeding caps to the cap ing plunger, a single means for actuating a of said cap feeding devices,

tle support, a plurality and a yielding forcible detachable connection between each cap feeding device and said single means.

3. In av bottle handling machine, the combination of a bottle supporting platform, a

capping head support positioned thereabove, means for causing relative movement therebetween including a pair of telescopically associated members with an included spring therebetween, a capping mechanism including a plurality of cap receiving ma azines arranged side by side above the plat orm, a similar number of capping heads associated with the support and above the platform, said magazines and heads being relatively movable, a cap projector associated with each reservoir for feeding a cap to the adjacent associated capping head in the relative movement, a common means for actuating all of c said cap projectors, and a connection between each cap projector and said common means whereby said projector is automatically disconnected from said common means upon jamming.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

CHARLES W. DESOBRY. 

